Comparison of quality of life and activity of daily living status of patients with myasthenia gravis treated with low-dose and high-dose prednisolone.

Objectives: To compare the effect of low-dose prednisolone (PSL) (≤5 mg/day) and high-dose PSL (>5 mg/day) therapy on the QOL and activity of daily living (ADL) in patients with MG.

Methods: A total of 679 patients with MG underwent a survey using Japanese versions of the MG-QOL 15-J and MG-ADL scales. Higher scores of these scales suggest deterioration of the QOL and ADL, respectively.

Survey of satisfaction regarding palliative care provided to patients who died at home or in a hospital.

Background: Improvement in quality of life (QoL) of patients is one of the most important goals of palliative care, but evaluation of QoL of patients is difficult.

Aim: To evaluate QoL of patients who died at home or in a hospital.

Methods: We administered the Good Death Inventory (10 core and 8 optional domains) to the bereaved families of patients who died at home or in a hospital.

Characterization of benzodiazepine binding site on human alpha1-acid glycoprotein using flunitrazepam as a photolabeling agent.

The binding of flunitrazepam (FNZP) by human alpha1-acid glycoprotein (hAGP) and the relationships between the extent of drug binding and desialylation and the genetic variants of hAGP were examined. The photolabeling specificity of [3H]FNZP was confirmed by findings in which other hAGP-binding ligands inhibited the formation of covalent bonds between [3H]FNZP and hAGP. The photolabeling of asialo-hAGP suggested that sialic acid does not involve in the binding of [3H]FNZP.

Use of photoaffinity labeling and site-directed mutagenesis for identification of the key residue responsible for extraordinarily high affinity binding of UCN-01 in human alpha1-acid glycoprotein.

7-Hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01) is a protein kinase inhibitor anticancer drug currently undergoing a phase II clinical trial. The low distribution volumes and systemic clearance of UCN-01 in human patients have been found to be caused in part by its extraordinarily high affinity binding to human alpha1-acid glycoprotein (hAGP). In the present study, we photolabeled hAGP with [3H]UCN-01 without further chemical modification.

Tryptophan residues play an important role in the extraordinarily high affinity binding interaction of UCN-01 to human alpha-1-acid glycoprotein.

Purpose: To investigate the factors that contribute to the exceptionally high affinity binding of UCN-01 to human alpha1-acid glycoprotein (hAGP).

Methods: Interactions between UCN-01, UCN-02, and staurosporine with native and chemically modified hAGPs were examined using ultracentrifugation and spectroscopic analysis.

Results: The binding affinity of staurosporine, as well as UCN-02, to hAGP was lower than that of UCN-01 by 20- and 100-fold respectively.